A former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye, has been rearrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged corruption and obtaining money by false pretence, also known as “419”.
Mr. Orosanye’s re-arrest on Tuesday evening came about eight months after a federal court in Abuja ordered his release from detention after he was docked for alleged N6.2billion fraud.
The former Head of the Civil Service is also currently standing trial before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on 24-count charge bbordering on money laundering.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, the retired bureaucrat was picked up from his Abuja residence at about 4.30 pm concerning a different case.
He is alleged to have abused his position as Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force and obtained a sum of N240million from the Central Bank of Nigeria in the guise of assistance to the Committee without the knowledge of other committee members and proceeded to convert the said sum to his personal use.
It was unclear if he was allowed to go home on administrative bail but as at 7PM Tuesday, Mr. Oronsaye was reportedly still being grilled by investigators handling his case.
An EFCC source quoted by the newspaper said: “What we are doing now is simply dotting the ‘I’ and cross the ‘ts’. Investigation is almost concluded and the suspect will be charged to court any time from now”.
Another source said a fresh two-count charge had been filed against Mr. Oronsaye at the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
The charges read, “Stephen Oronsaye a.k.a. Mr Steve Oronsaye on or about 12th June, 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory whilst being the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force and in such capacity entrusted with certain property to wit: the sum of N90,000,000.00 ( Ninety Million Naira) committed Breach of Trust in respect of the said sum by converting it to your personal use through the investment of the said sum of N90,000,000.00 in Access Bank Plc’s Bankers Acceptance for a tenor of 90 days at 9.0% interest rate in violation of the extant financial regulations
“Stephen Oronsaye a.k.a. Mr Steve Oronsaye on or about 30th December, 2014 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory whilst being the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force and in such capacity entrusted with certain property to wit: the sum of N100,000,000.00 ( One Hundred Million Naira) committed Breach of Trust in respect of the said sum by converting it to your personal use through the investment of the said sum of N90,000,000.00 in Access Bank Plc’s Bankers Acceptance for a tenor of 90 days at 12.0% interest rate each in violation of the extant financial regulations”.
